Insurance fund and certificate with QR code: Armenia to tighten control over tour operators and guides
YEREVAN, January 30. /ARKA/. The Armenian government has developed new rules and requirements for tourism entities aimed at protecting the rights of tourists and improving service quality in the industry, said Lusine Gevorgyan, head of the Armenian Tourism Committee.
As she noted, it is planned to introduce new requirements for companies engaged in the transportation of tourists, as well as standards for their vehicles.
“This issue is currently under discussion. The new rules will come into force after government approval,” Gevorgyan said at a press conference.
It is planned to issue special certificates to companies engaged in the transportation of tourists in the form of QR codes, which will be attached to vehicles. “This will eliminate instances of providing poor-quality services to tourists,” the head of the Committee is confident.
The changes will also affect guides, who will have to pass exams on the Armenian language, the history of Armenia, and the Church to obtain a license.
“At the first stage, we plan to create an electronic database—a so-called electronic journal. It will include all entities and objects engaged in tourism activities,” Gevorgyan said.
Additionally, guides will be required to create their own websites, which must be updated at least once every three months. The website must include a sample contract that guides use with tourists when booking specific packages. According to Gevorgyan, this will allow potential tourists to book packages online, fill out the required contract forms, and make all necessary payments without any face-to-face meetings with the guide or company.
The Committee also plans to create a special insurance fund. This will guarantee the fulfillment of obligations to tourists in the event of a company's bankruptcy or force majeure.
According to the head of the Committee, the need for these regulations arises from the increasing incidence of fraud in the tourism sector—from failure to fulfill obligations to transport tourists to travel agencies disappearing with clients' money.
Previously, the lack of appropriate legislative regulation and control mechanisms led to numerous violations of tourists’ rights. The adopted standards, developed with international experience and analysis of negative local cases, are designed not only to improve the quality of tourism services but also to ensure fair competition among all market participants.
These measures, the government believes, will become part of new tourism legislation aimed at streamlining the industry.
